One of the most ubiquitous herbs in British cookery, parsley is also popular in European and…

6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Method

Make the stock. Put the lamb bones in a large heavy-based saucepan with the carrot, onion, celery, herbs, peppercorns and 1 tsp salt. Pour in 3 litres/5 1⁄4 pints water. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve to remove bones and vegetables, then return to the pan. Boil until reduced to about 1.3 litres/21⁄4 pints. (You can make the stock the day before – keep it in a covered container in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months.)

Make the stew. Cut the lamb into large chunks. Peel the potatoes (keeping both types separate) and cut into pieces of similar size to the meat. Put the two different types in separate bowls of water to keep them white. Peel the carrots and cut into slightly smaller pieces. Slice the onions into thick rings.

Put the lamb in a large, clean saucepan. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off all the impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Add the floury potatoes, carrots and onions. Season generously and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the waxy potatoes and thyme. Simmer until the lamb is tender (15-20 minutes). Take off the heat, cover (don’t stir) and leave for 15 minutes. (You can make this up to 2 days ahead and keep in the fridge). Garnish and serve.

Comments, questions and tips

Comments (18)

Brilliant easy one pot dish, extraordinary comfort food indeed, My wife was born and brought up in rural Ireland; Co Kilkenny; Her comment was favourable but in the days when she was at home as she still calls it, there was a much greater preponderance of potato content. The use of very floury potatoes, which are quite unatainable in this country, create the thickening element, my effort therefore, appreciated by the gathering, was not quite as expected. Every cooking houewife in Ireland has their own recipe which of course is considered to be the only way to do the job. There will never be a concensus on this matter and I don't ever expect one.

I made this using lamb steaks and have used fillet of lamb. This is absolutely delicious and image some healthy dumplings and added these 20 minutes before the end. This is a real comforting meal even naughtier if you serve with crusty bread.

roll mince into balls and brown in saucepan. drain off excess fat (shouldnt be much if good quality mince)

Add the chopped carrots, onion, mushrooms and stir into mince.

Make up your beef stock and add to the hot sauce pan. let this cook on high for just a few minutes, then add the potatoes. turn down heat and cook slowly until all veg and potatoes are cooked. Tastes great the next day as the stock has thickened.

I made this for my partner (who is Irish) as a St Patrick's Day treat. He was so impressed that I have been making it ever since. I did cheat a little and used lamb stock cubes (good quality ones) instead of making the stock from scratch but it is still fantastic and goes down a storm with everyone I cook it for. It's definately best if you can let it go cold and then reheat it later as this seems to thicken the sauce.

I was hesitant at first as my partner loves lamb but I am not that keen. However, it was delicious & I served it with homemade soda bread. I had some leftover (as I made loads) and it was even better the day after and the soda bread was great for toast. I will do this again for sure.

Questions (0)

Unsure about the cooking time or want to swap an ingredient? Ask us your questions and we’ll try and help you as soon as possible. Or if you want to offer a solution to another user’s question, feel free to get involved…

Be the first to ask a question about this recipe…

Tips (0)

Got your own twist on this recipe? Or do you have suggestions for possible swaps and additions? We’d love to hear your ideas.

Reader offer: £40 off delicious meals

Reader offer: £10 off + 2 free craft beers

Skills & know how

As well as helping you decide what to cook we can also help you to cook it. From tips on cookery techniques to facts and information about health and nutrition, we’ve a wealth of foodie know how for you to explore.

About BBC Good Food

We’re all about good recipes, and about quality home cooking that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for some healthy inspiration or learning how to cook a decadent dessert, we’ve trustworthy guidance for all your foodie needs.

Our recipes

All our recipes are tested thoroughly by us to make sure they’re suitable for your kitchen at home. We know many of you are concerned about healthy eating, so we send them to a qualified nutritionist for thorough analysis too.

Follow us

This website is made by BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). No money from the licence fee was used to create this page. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes.